


Catnip for Rent

by arisanite



Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Cats, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Modern-Fantasy, Romance, Shape-shifter, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Tenant/Landlord, awkward courtship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:38:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4506306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arisanite/pseuds/arisanite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ysobel Lee moves into a new apartment owned by a landlord she rarely glimpses despite getting a good discount for it. However, every night the landlord’s cat comes to visit her place and struts about as if he owns it. Also, the landlord doesn’t seem to be what he really is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Current Rating:** T-M
> 
>  **Which Tom/Character:** AU!Animagus!Tom
> 
>  **Other Notes:**  
>  Worked with [iamthebadwolf85](http://iamthebadwold85.tumblr.com) on the plot of this one as she also serves as my beta. Thanks so much Jennehkins! <3

(This artwork was commissioned by [hiddles-and-a-cuppa-tea](http://hiddles-and-a-cuppa-tea.tumblr.com/). So glad to be able to share it now! <3)

 

Aside from the uncommon name, Ysobel was just like every little girl.

She had her own playhouse, received a new bag every Christmas in time to replace the one for the next school year, and had parents who switched homes and neighbourhoods every few years due to the nature of their careers. You could say that she lived just like every other child lived their life and had the same problems and experiences like every other child would have had.

And there was the time that Ysobel got her own tree house.

It was probably the third move they made as a family and it was when they were still fairly new in the neighbourhood.  Poor seven-year-old Ysobel had no one to play with except with herself. It just so happened that the new house had a big, beautiful cedar tree standing in the backyard with an already constructed tree house that was left behind by the family that previously owned it, built by three big rowdy boys who eventually outgrew it and went to high school. Now it belonged to her.

Ysobel and her mom had been cleaning and preparing it for a week, except for the one day when it rained very hard.  When it was finally complete, Ysobel disobeyed her mother one cloudy afternoon, taking advantage of the break from the rain, running through the backyard with a bag full of snacks, up to her newly cleaned haven.

However, the moment the little girl climbed inside, she almost fell off the ladder when she saw something wriggle underneath the sheets she set up for her bed inside the treehouse.

 

_Shriek!_

 

A few minutes later, the little girl found it was a scared damp kitten that had been seeking shelter from a week of torrential rain.

It was a tiny stray, dirty and muddied from the storms. It seemed as if the little fella hadn’t eaten in days and was terrified the moment the little human started to approach him. He began to burrow deeper into the corner of the tree house that poor, concerned Ysobel couldn’t reach.

“Hello, little one,” she called out to him, trying to lure him out with a bunch of cheese crackers that the tiny kitten just sniffed before retreating deeper into the groove inside the tree. “Come on. I won’t hurt you.”

He only came out of his hiding place when the smell of the tuna sandwich wafted from her bag, permeating the tree house the moment she took it out.

“Oh,” Ysobel said in surprise, not knowing much since she wasn’t allowed to have a pet before. “You like tuna?”

The kitten only meowed in her direction, looking at her with big, pitiful blue eyes, seemingly pleading for a bite. That was when she got a better look at the baby – he was tiny and lean, no more than a few weeks old, possibly just a little bit older. He had a healthy orange color hidden under all the dirt, although it didn’t match the unnervingly bright blue eyes that were less common in ginger tabbies like this tiny kitten.

Hesitating for a minute, Ysobel looked at the only sandwich she had in her bag, amidst the stash of junk food a kitten couldn’t eat. But then she found herself smiling as she pieced off a small portion of the sandwich for herself, before spreading it open in front of the grateful kitten who looked at it as if Christmas had come early.

Quickly gorging on the exposed meat that was surrounding the bread, the kitten she found in the treehouse slowly huddled closer to her, forgetting his fear he had of the human who came out of nowhere, invading his hiding place from the rain.

“There’s a good kitty,” the little girl whispered, slowly bringing her hand to stroke his fur. To her surprise, the tiny thing shuddered the moment her hand touched his body as he paused from  eating to look up at her.

For a moment, Ysobel thought he’d scamper away and hide once more but to her surprise, the kitten happily meowed in her direction and continued eating the treat that was laid out for him.

Then came the crack of lightening followed by a boom of thunder.

The little girl found herself covering her ears and pressing herself against the wall as she shivered, peeking out of the only window of the treehouse to find the sky darkening as rain started to fall.

Suddenly realizing that her mother was right when she said a storm was coming, Ysobel found herself shivering into her hoodie, regretting the fact that she disobeyed her and was now trapped in the tree house with a starving kitten. The tiny thing beside her had stopped eating, a shiver clearly ran through its little body the moment the sky started roaring.

Much to Ysobel’s surprise, she found the kitten suddenly running towards her and huddling close to her body, hiding behind the small nook between her back and the wall.

Despite the initial fear of lightning and the realization that she was stranded in the treehouse, Ysobel found a smile forming on her lips as she ran a hand on the kitten’s shivering body behind her, the tiny thing started to calm down as her strokes became constant.

“It’s okay, kitty,” she whispered as she picked him up from his hiding place and cradled him in her arms. She never felt so pleased in her entire life as she found the animal slowly beginning to trust her as it burrowed deeper into the crook of her arm. “You will be safe here.”

She drew the covers over herself and the kitten’s shivering body and watched the rain fall, wondering when it would the shower draw to a close.

 

 

***

 

 

Having made a new friend, Ysobel made sure to tuck in the tiny kitten under the warm covers in the treehouse that afternoon before descending and returning to her house, promising to bring back an entire can of tuna to feed him when her mother had calmed down from screaming after what has happened.

After a few lectures, one long hot shower, and a good night’s sleep, the first thing Ysobel did was to take two opened cans of tuna as she ascended the ladder to her tree house, eager to present her gifts to her new ward.

To her surprise, she found the covers abandoned and the space empty.

Frantically looking around for her new friend, she found herself approaching one of the banisters overlooking her yard from ten feet up in the air when she heard this faint meow from above the tree house.

Peering outside, she found that tiny orange tabby now with the ability to climb as he stood on one stretched branch, about to make a leap from her tree to the neighbor’s.

Fear clouded Ysobel’s eyes, scared of what the kitten is about to do.

“Wait!”

To her surprise, she realized that the baby wasn’t as little as she thought he was as he made a full jump towards the neighbor’s oak tree, before proudly turning around on his tail to meow at her, acknowledging her presence from almost a mile away.

Ysobel would look back and realize that cats weren’t meant to stay in one place (even if they loved coming back to certain areas that are dear to them), nor did strays immediately develop loyalty towards humans like dogs do. Cats have minds of their own and strays were meant to explore and never to stick to one place, though of course they have a tendency to go back according to instinct and need.

Looking up at the kitten in awe, Ysobel would have cried and asked for it to come back if she was a little bit younger, but at that moment she must have developed a sense of maturity, understanding that _if you love something, you must let it go_. (And when she looked back as an\ adult and wondered if she truly loved that kitten, she knew that she would have loved the promise of having a pet just like that sweet little tabby she found in her tree house.)

The tabby’s meow and the twinkle from its blue eyes snapped her back to reality, as she found herself looking at the cat that was now slowly descending from the tree – only to sit on the neighbor’s fence within her eye-level to look at her, as if it was waiting for something.

Ysobel wasn’t sure if she’d remember this cat after he’s gone, but she was sure to remember what she said to it:

“ _It’s okay if you have to go, kitty_ ,” she said in that small voice, craning her neck so she could see his dirty orange fur. “ _But you can always come back if you need somewhere to hide. You’ll always be welcome in my tree house._ ”

She didn’t expect cats to reply, but this one meowed in her direction once before slowly dropping out of sight and into the neighbor’s backyard.

For a moment Ysobel thought that the ginger tabby belonged to the neighbours, but they did say that they didn’t own any pets. Ysobel would have been sad to see the first friend she ever saw in that neighbourhood go but for the first time she considered asking her mother for a pet.

Even if she knew the answer would be no.

 

***

 

 

A year later, a handsome young tabby appeared in the neighbor’s backyard once more, scaling the walls and climbing up the old oak tree to make his way towards that tree house that stood there for more than ten years now.

The cat eagerly entered the familiar treehouse, landing on the rickety banisters before entering the house properly, happily swatting his tail back and forth as he expected a familiar face to greet him.

But it was empty.

The familiar warm quilts that covered him that rainy day were gone, the floors bare. The toys were all packed away and shipped somewhere, and it seemed as if the tree house hadn’t been occupied for a long time.

It so happened that the family that lived there had to transfer homes after a small epidemic broke out at nearby private school, endangering the health of the children. Parents took sides as those who vaccinated their children tried to take a stand against and those who preferred not to have the treatment ended up spreading the disease instead. Fearing for the health of their youngest daughter, the family decided to move.

But the cat wouldn’t know about it, wouldn’t he? Meowing sadly in the darkness of the treehouse he searched every nook and cranny of the promise that was left to him by the friend he made almost a year ago. Well they did keep their promise – he was able to return and freely occupy the treehouse as he pleased.

But this time, he came back for his friend.

He did find something hidden in the deep groove where he hid once as a kitten when he first found the wooden installment many moons ago. Using his teeth, he managed to pull out an old forgotten dented can of tuna that someone managed to slip inside the hole – unopened because of course, little girls thought that cats could open cans all by themselves. Such silly imaginations they have.

There was a scribbled note attached to it and the cat couldn’t help but chew at the edges where it would have been held by tiny hands.

 

_Hello kitty,_

_I don’t know if you can read but_

_This is goodbye._

_Here’s the food I promised though._

_Grow fatter._

_-  Ysobel xoxo_

 

Of course, cats can’t read.

But silly girls can’t be stopped writing letters to cats, can they?

The young tomcat sat there, swishing his tail back and forth as he appeared to be reading the note, the afternoon sun behind him casting a bleak shadow over the yellowing paper that would have been left there since God knows when.

In the silence of the tree house, the shadow of hind legs turned into a strong pair of thighs, the front legs into muscular arms, and the former paws became a set of fully grown fingers and toes.

And two drops of tears fell down on the surface of the yellowing letter from the girl who thought she could talk to cats.

 


	2. A Peculiar Settlement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years later, Ysobel has grown into this fine young woman who is currently having dilemmas about finding the ideal job and the ideal flat. However, despite her struggles, there was one person who was willing to help her overcome that ordeal. Their request however, was very unusual.

Ysobel Lee grew up to be an intelligent young woman, finishing with honors in her degree in Computer Science. She couldn’t remember the time she thought she could talk to cats, but at twenty-five she could remember the friends who helped her get through College, no thanks to the exes that made her life miserable.

Ysobel, now called Ysa, would say that she had a lucky childhood. After the unfortunate event in that small town called Edington that caused her and her family to transfer during that epidemic scare, they managed to settle permanently in New Canton where she lived with her parents until she left for University.

Seven years later, Ysa found herself returning to Edington, discovering that it had evolved from a sleepy little town into a business hub, having its own University and a few well-known office centers by big companies, surrounded by a few big-earning establishments. Not to mention that Edington is now known to tourists as the Coffee-City, its location littered with high-class cafes that serve the best coffee in the country, according to those who owned it. Edington managed to attract yuppies from all over the country with its promises of jobs and financial opportunities, as newly grads flocked over the town and its neighboring cities that were slowly becoming commerce centers as well.

However, Ysa found herself returning to Edington almost empty handed. Despite graduating with colors to a point that she was being offered jobs from the get go, the demand for developers like her are high  but their benefits were very low. Sadly, developers like Ysa were treated like commodities that were easy to hire.  However, due to the low-quality of retention of the businesses they get into, they end up leaving eventually. Having jumped from two jobs in a span of two years, Ysa found herself standing on Edington’s grounds with the hope of securing a sure-shot position through a grueling two-month internship with a big company that decided to build one of their branches in the said small town.

Ysa couldn’t say no when she managed to snag the internship program spot, as the said company was as big as Apple or Google. The benefits and the promise of career development were very good too, not to mention that the program was directly backed up by a few private investors that lived in the area.

That being said, she arrived in Edington empty handed. With her parents living almost several states away, Ysa had to make a living for herself and had to painfully discover how to live on her own. _Not bad for a cum laude_ , her snobby friends from College who envied her honors would say, but Ysa would admit that life was slowly getting difficult.

It was already a bad track record for her that she couldn’t retain a job for more than a year. Worried about her career, it made things worse that her personal bank account was running thin of the back pay that she just secured from her previous office several months ago.

Now finding a place to stay was Ysa’s biggest problem at the moment. With the help of her father, she managed to call a few housing agents but none of them could find a nice place for her with a rent that could fit her budget. Upon calling the fifth agent, she was presented with a beautiful two-room studio-type flat in one of the most expensive condos in Edington, and it just so happened that it was just a little bit over budget. It also happened to be only a bus ride away from the office where she would complete her internship. For Ysa, it was the most ideal place she could get if she wanted to work in that town. The only problem was the cost.

“You could personally talk to the owner of the condo,” the agent told her. “Maybe you could convince him to give you a reprieve.”

“A reprieve?” Ysa had no idea what she was talking about.

“Something to make ends meet,” the agent explained. “Some tenants offer to shoulder the electricity and the water, while some decide to take care of repairs. The flat is fully furnished – this is why it’s a little bit over budget.”

“I see…” the sound of her voice was starting to falter.

“You could talk to him,” the agent insisted. “He’s very easy to talk to.”

Ysa frowned and it could be heard from over the phone. “You did say that he was the son of a pharmaceutical magnate.”

“And a brilliant entrepreneur too,” the agent said in a cheery voice. “He runs his own business, haven’t I told you? The condo is just one of his sources of income.” Something told Ysa that maybe this particular agent was charmed by the landowner. Who knows, maybe that middle-aged landowner whom she was talking about might be handsome. However, all Ysa could imagine was a middle-aged Caucasian man in a tight, crisp business suit  with an intimidating gait – not to mention a ring on his finger and keys to the most expensive Jaguar ever made.

The young woman sighed. “Alright, how do I contact this guy?”

“I can’t really just give out his number or email address,” the agent spoke as the line crackled a bit. “How about you give me your email and I’ll ask him to contact you?”

 _He is a snooty one_ , Ysa thought.

“Alright,” she sighed before giving the agent her contact information.

 

***

 

A week later she received an email.

 

_Hello Miss Lee!_

_I have been informed by Miss Hartman that you were looking to rent Room 15B in the Blue Ridge Suites. It is currently unoccupied and I was looking to have the unit filled up before the 15 th of next month. Miss Hartman has also told me about your concern about the initial down payment and the monthly rent. I am willing to make accommodations with the issues mentioned above. How about we discuss it over tea or coffee? Would you be free Saturday afternoon next week? I’d be willing to meet you in the White Dome Café just across the Trifare Landmark, in front of the Town Library._

_Looking forward to meeting you,_

_T. W. Hiddleston_

Ysa found herself squinting at her iPhone as she read the email.

It looked like a formal letter indeed, but she never found a landowner that eager to have their suite rented out. Well of course, it worked to her advantage, but she didn’t expect that she’d be talking to the landowner in person. Suddenly that smell of tobacco, old cologne, and cognac began to permeate in her brain and she was thinking of calling another agent instead of facing a dirty old pervert who wanted to have coffee with her instead of discussing this whole thing over the phone or something impersonal. After all, in this day and age you could use Skype or a video app.

 _You gotta suck it up sweetie if you need that job_ , she told herself as she sighed, replying formally to the landlord who came with the initials “T.W.” and had a surname of “Hiddleston”. It sounded queer too as she never heard it before. _Maybe he’s not from around here. Maybe he isn’t that creepy after all._

Still, Ysa dreaded that meeting she agreed to in a week’s time.

 

***

 

Eventually Saturday came around.

Subtly referring to it as “ _the Saturday when I have to meet the snobby old English Landlord_ ”, Ysobel yawned as she got out of bed and choosing her outfit at the last minute, settling for a nice off-shoulder blouse that would end up not serving its purpose as the girl decided to cover it with a large flowy black cardigan she had grown to love.

As she was already feeling the laziness to get through the day, her defiance to turn up to settle the deal with the owner of the Blue Ridge Suites began to take a toll on her temperament as she realized that it started to rain. Grumbling to herself as she walked back in to look for an umbrella, she wondered if she should email or call the agent to postpone the meeting. But then again she remembered that if she does, she’d lose the deal at hand.

Rolling her eyes and lazily sighing, Ysa found herself muttering “for the greater good” repeatedly as she trudged through the muddy path.

Living with a friend in her dorm in the next town, Ysa had to ride the 2pm bus to get back into Edington proper. Arriving at the Trifare Landmark, she realized as she looked around the area surrounding the blindfolded statue holding a bell, that it was in the poshish section of town, surrounded by designer stores and high-end cafes.

Somewhat realizing _who_ and _what_ she might be dealing with, the idea of a _plebeian_ begging _privilege_ to give her a home makes it feel sick to her stomach. Not to mention a _plebeian_ just wanting to get a job that would somehow move her up the nonexistent career ladder.

“The moment he’s remotely creepy,” Ysa found herself mumbling as she trudged over to White Dome in her muddied shin-high boots. “Is the moment that I wished I brought Mandy along.”

Mandy was a friend she was living with in Dorschire, temporarily occupying a flat originally belonging to a brother currently working abroad. Originally a previous co-worker, Mandy supported Ysa with her exploits in the field of software development, but she decided to pursue another path. However, Mandy was as loyal and protective as ever that if Ysa decided to call for help concerning finding a creeper in a potential landowner, she was sure to come to her rescue.

But as Ysa entered the White Dome, she realized that calling for help may be too late.

Leaving her umbrella outside, the girl found herself wringing her hands as she looked around, trying to find a clue if Mr. Hiddleston had already taken his seat.

Her first instinct was to look for a forty-ish looking man with balding grey hair, who looked as if he had too many bagels in the morning and too many Coors after dinner. Smirking when she found her thoughts being too judgmental and pretentious (not to mention the fact that it wasn’t applicable since she couldn’t find anyone who fits her description), Ysa decided to shift her filter towards older men who wore tweed jackets and bowties, possibly whining about how their expensive Lady Grey tea lacks honey and sugar.

Still unable to find her target, Ysa found herself running a hand through her stringy dark brown hair, frowning as she decided to find a seat, realizing that her potential landlord was probably late.

That was when her eyes fell upon a man who was sitting on a table just a few feet from her, staring at her as if he had seen a ghost.

Starting to feel self conscious, she attempted to avoid his gaze, but the moment he stood up and rose to his full height, she knew she couldn’t ignore him especially when he started to walk towards her.

He was a towering spectacle, a few inches over six feet. He walked gracefully towards her, his hands clasped together, his mouth still agape until he had to catch himself gawking at her.

“Are you Miss Lee?” he said in that smooth English accent.

Ysa couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Did that Hiddleston bloke send an assistant to meet her or something? How brash if he couldn’t meet her himself. _He must be that fucking rich to have such a handsome PA._

He suddenly cleared his throat, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I’m sorry,” he spoke up, frowning a bit before catching her off guard with a charming smile. “ _Miss Ysobel_.”

For a moment, Ysa swore she would’ve been reprimanded by her kindergarten teacher for forgetting to speak.

“Y-Yes?” She stammered. “I-I.” She had to grit her teeth and look down, a quick attempt to compose herself, before looking back up to give him a sheepish smile. “I am Miss Lee.”

The smile that appeared and cleared the confused expression on his handsome face looked like the sun breaking through the clouds.

Ysa suddenly found her hand being shaken vigorously as she tried to follow whatever the blushing man was saying. She wasn’t even sure why _he_ was red in the face.

“Hello!” he spoke cheerily, still shaking her hand. “I am Thomas Hiddleston from the Blue Ridge Suites. I am so pleased that you came to meet me today!” He looked around hastily, realizing that his table was cluttered with one humming Macbook and scattered files. Quickly releasing her hand and shrugging apologetically, he guided her over to his busy table before hastily clearing it of his personal effects.

“Please,” he gestured to the chair just across his. “Take a seat.”

Ysa found herself blinking twice or thrice in surprise, as she attempted to comprehend what she just heard. Suddenly, that picture of the sophisticated old pervert in her brain was shattered with just a handshake, and she found herself awkwardly taking a seat in front of the graceful yet somewhat fidgety man who sat in his chair as if he was posing for da Vinci’s work of art.

Yes, he was that beautiful.

Even Ysa couldn’t admit it since she was busy gawking at him, wanting to kick herself for thinking that he was a dirty old geezer.

She was watching him muttering random worries such as “Oh dear,” and “Forgive me as I may have made a mess of the table” as he cleared it of what was left of his notebooks and files when she suddenly heard someone clear their throat. Turning dazedly to her right, Ysa realized that the waiter had arrived.

“Madam,” he said with that distinct accent that did not match her potential landlord’s as she was presented with the menu. “Sir,” he then gestured towards the other man who gratefully received the laminated sheet, shooting the non-plussed waiter with the same bright smile on his face.

“Thank you,” Mr. Hiddleston answered, quickly glancing over the menu as the waiter patted his apron pockets for a pad of paper and his pen.

Ysa found herself hiding her face behind the menu. As much as she was initially wrong with her impression about her supposed new landlord, she was certainly correct about his abundant wealth. Realizing that White Dome served High Tea 3pm onwards, the girl found herself staring at expensive delicacies and the most luxurious tea in the country, ones her cheap-developer-wallet couldn’t afford. And to top off everything, the next thing the waiter said to her somewhat eager companion made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

“Are you having your usual, Mr. Hiddleston?”

The man in question raised an eyebrow, his crystal blue eyes still perusing the menu, before breaking that stern quizzical look on his face with the same sunny smile as he turned to nod towards the waiter. “Yes please,” he exclaimed. “And please add a plate of macarons and a slice of your finest Delafee Cheesecake.”

Ysa found herself mouthing the words _Delafee_ with her face still hidden behind the menu, disbelieving that this café served one of Switzerland’s most expensive chocolates – much more on a fucking cheesecake.

“A great choice sir,” the waiter exclaimed, scribbling on his pad. Turning to the other girl, Ysa found herself almost yelp in surprise when the waiter spoke again. “And for you miss?”

The girl’s face emerged from behind the luxurious menu folder, sporting a sheepish yet unsure smile on her face as she glanced on the cheapest item on the menu.

“Just an Americano if you will,” she said firmly, trying not to show the bashfulness in her voice, considering that the second cheapest item on the menu would make her money fall short on the way back to Dorschire.

That was when she heard her companion cluck his tongue.

“Just an Americano?” Mr. Hiddleston said in surprise. “ _Darling_ , you’re not enjoying the White Dome café at its fullest if you’re having just that.” The way he said that term of endearment reminded her of her grandfather, but it somewhat hit a bell in her brain and currently rained the rest of her head with this din that kept ringing in her ears, making her forget the rest of what he just said to her.

“Please bring her slice of the cheesecake and a hot Irish cream latte with the caramel drip,” the man quickly informed the waiter, who jotted down the orders on his pad.

Considering how expensive the items were, Ysa was about to retort when Mr. Hiddleston suddenly added, “Do add those to my tab as well, if you please.”

The waiter then capped his pen and pocketed the pad of orders before nodding. “Will do, sir,” he exclaimed before nodding his head. “Your orders will arrive shortly.”

Ysa watched the man walk away with her mouth still agape, until she realized that her companion was smiling at her gaily from the other side of the table, causing her to awkwardly close her mouth.

“So,” the velvety sound of that English accent once again filled their corner as he filed away the last of his papers, putting it on the side chair that he pulled up for himself, containing the rest of his personal belongings that made up his makeshift office desk. “Tell me more about yourself, Miss Ysobel.”

He smiled. “What do you do?”

The girl bit her lip, trying to ignore the way he said her name that made her heart flutter. And to think of it, she has only met this man.

“Just Ysa, sir,” she answered politely, putting her hands together on her lap. Wrinkling her button nose, she turned to look out the rain-drenched window, seemingly thinking of something, somewhat filtering what she wanted her potential landlord to know.

“I am a software developer,” she said softly, suddenly feeling as if her occupation must be something small and amateurish next to a man who was probably raised next to his father’s business empire, handling side endeavors on his own. “I got into Hugo-Hartinsson’s Internship program for this year, and I was hoping to start next month.”

Hiddleston widened his eyes as he rubbed his chin, leaning back against his chair. “Oh,” he started, those blue eyes seemingly perusing her this time. “This must be the reason why you chose the unit.“ He got it right away, those eyes sparkling. Ysa realized how fast this man managed to piece things up, making him more of an intelligent strategist than how she imagined him to be, some rich kid who inherited his father’s business. “There is a bus stop near the building that stops right in front of their office.”

Ysa found herself nodding. “That’s one of the reasons sir,” she said, realizing that this is some sort of an interview. “And it’s got a nice security system too – guards, CCTVs and the like. Not to mention a receiving mailbox inside of the building and a laundromat in one of the floors.”

The man crossed his arms, but was still smiling at the way she answered him. “Miss Hartman did tell you about the amenities, did she?” He asked. “The services?”

The girl blinked for a while, seemingly trying to remember, before nodding.

“Good,” the man exclaimed, nodding himself as he ran a finger on his lower lip. It was gesture that made Ysa somewhat uncomfortable, and yet she couldn’t stop watching. Next thing she knew, she wanted to kick herself for watching. And to think that she met this man just today.

“Did she tell you that the services had an extra fee if you were to use them?” Realizing his tone, he quickly smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “I mean,” he started, “it would only be added to your invoice if you managed to use them. But they are for your use whenever you need them.”

Ysa nodded. “She did tell me about them, sir.”

For a moment, the smile on the man’s face disappeared. She was in the middle of wondering if she said something wrong when their drinks and the food finally arrived. As the table was filled with scrumptious pastries and the smell of coffee, cream, and sugar wafted in the air, Ysa momentarily forgot about the landlord’s hesitation as she watched his expression change from something stern to something akin to a boy who just stepped inside the candy shop for the first time especially when the waiter placed the colorful macarons in the middle of the table.

Taking one and then offering it to his companion, the man cheerfully told her, “Take as many as you can, Miss Ysobel. Don’t be shy. These are the finest macarons in the area, and you definitely will be asking for more after having one.” To her surprise, _he winked_. “And don’t hesitate to tell me. I’d gladly order some more after having our fill.”

Ysa swore she’s going to tear herself apart with how warm and charming this man was. If this was his way of convincing her to get the flat without reducing the expensive rent it was actually working.

But then again she’d be in trouble if she said yes without actually thinking about it.

Shyly taking one pink macaron, she forgot her name the moment she bit into it, the taste of cream and strawberry filled her mouth.  The last time she actually had these was when a friend came back from Paris with the knowledge to make these colorful treats. Upon tasting these at the White Dome, Ysa realized that these may be as authentic as those as you could find in Paris.

“Delicious isn’t it?” Hiddleston exclaimed as he watched her close her eyes, clearly losing her composure at one bite. “It’s the union of the strawberries and that cream that they import from Italy that makes it special,” he said as he began to lick the crumbs and the cream off his fingers, causing Ysa to turn into a statue just watching him do it in front of her.

“Makes you feel as if you’re in Paris,” he concluded with a pop, the sunshine smile forming on his face once more.

Ysa was trying hard to remember the face of her previous ex just to stay level headed. _You can’t possibly fall for a guy you just met!_ She had to tell herself as she swallowed the rest of the macaron she just bit off. _This shit only happens in the movies!_

She was in the middle of trying to compose herself, when the man spoke again after having a sip of his tea, somewhat startling her.

“So,” he started, putting his cup down. “What are your specialties?”

Ysa almost dropped what was left of her macaron. “Eh?”

A playful smirk seemed to have appeared on the man’s face. “I was referring to your specialization as a developer.”

The girl found herself scratching her head. “Ruby on rails…” she started, seemingly recounting the times when she would waste her time on coffee and programming, cursing at a fucking duck into the wee hours of the morning. “PHP, MySQL, and a bit of CSS too.”

“Impressive,” the man muttered as he took another sip of his tea, seemingly contemplating if he should start on his cheesecake. “With those kind of credentials, I’m sure you will advance quickly at Hugo-Hartinsson, Miss Lee.”

The girl looked down and realized she had been fidgeting with her fingers. The last time she did this was when she thought the ex was going to propose to her. She gritted her teeth and wondered why a complete stranger would make her feel that way.

Instead of saying anything else, she looked back and smiled, saying, “Thank you, sir.”

For a moment, the man was wearing that expressionless, gawking stare that he initially shot in her direction when she walked through the doors of the café, causing Ysa to feel uncomfortable again. But just when she was about to wonder what causes him to look at her like that, he suddenly gave her his big and sunny smile, waking up all those butterflies in her stomach.

“Don’t mention it.”

Ysa found herself looking down once more as she decided to take her first sip of the coffee he ordered for her, only to realize how delicious it is – just like how he told her.

They ate in silence for a few moments, a bit of awkwardness filling the air. You could say it would be common for a girl who seemed to be there for an interview; but for some reason, the interviewer seemed to be fidgeting under the table too with his feet brushing repeatedly against the other, making him seem restless all of a sudden.

“Uhm,” Ysa found herself clearing her throat, breaking the silence. “Mr. Hiddleston –”

“Please,” his voice was soft and soothing. The gentle smile on his face wasn’t helping with the way the butterflies in her stomach started to wake up and flutter around. “Just _Tom_.”

She felt as if the name was about to get stuck in her throat. Getting it stuck there seemed to make the butterflies happy though. “Uh yes,” she muttered. “Tom –”

She felt her entire body freeze as those blue eyes turned to look at her directly, forcing her to try and snap out of her trance in order to impart what she had to say.

“I,” she started, clearing her throat a bit as she started to play with her dessert fork as she cut up a small slice of the cheesecake. “I wanted to clarify about the rent?”

“Ahhh,” the man exclaimed as he pushed his plate away, before folding his hands together on top of the table. Suddenly realizing he meant business, Ysobel quickly and quietly placed her fork down and channeled on an attentive demeanor, considering that the man’s mood also changed the moment she mentioned about the rent. “To business. About that –”

The man then picked up a planner as he began to sift through it, seemingly checking through some information, as a few wrinkles creased his forehead. Waiting through the silence, Ysa found the man eventually setting the planner aside before turning to her with a firm smile, saying, “Miss Hartman has told me that you wanted to reduce the rent a bit, with your suggestion of moving out the furnishings and replacing it with your own. Am I correct?”

The sternness and the seriousness in his voice caused Ysa to stiffen up herself. “Yes,” she said quietly, wondering if she’d still have the appetite for the cheesecake.

Biting his lower lip and twiddling with his fingers, the man then leaned back on his chair. “I’m afraid that’s not completely possible, Miss Lee.”

The girl felt her heart sink. As much as she loved talking to the guy, it seems like she isn’t going to get her dream flat. _And I thought everything was going on fine._

“The furnishings are there for a reason,” Hiddleston explained, his eyes now avoiding her. “And there is no empty unit or warehouse I could currently transfer them too while you reside in that unit. I’m afraid the furniture has to stay.”

Ysa somberly nodded, shooting him a small firm smile. “I understand,” she said softly.

However, she barely noticed how he seemed to be trying to read her face as she looked down on her lap, as she was somewhat convinced that this whole deal is at a loss, and she might not be able to get that flat after all. At least she got to meet this wonderful man in person, despite all the horrible things she initially thought of him from the start. Ysa hated herself for it. Sometimes she had too many impressions that preceded her brain. She had to chastise herself afterwards for assuming too much. What was a shame was she’d probably never see him again…

“However,” he started, as he sat up. “I am willing to lower the rent to something that you can accommodate…”

Ysa found herself looking up from her lap, those brown eyes suddenly filling with so much hope. What greeted it was this knowing smile that somewhat made her insides burn, making her wonder what kind of sunshine filled this guy who was giving her another chance.

“But I need you to do me a little favor.”

Ysa found herself blinking more than twice again. This was what she was afraid of. What would that favor be? Would it be something peculiar? Would it be possibly cleaning _his_ own flat? Would be a bigger down payment? Would be it be such unspeakable things that is concerning _her_ own body and _his_ beautiful long limbs – Ysa had to stomp her own foot to stop thinking about dirty thoughts concerning a man she just met. But she swore later on that she wouldn’t say no if this man would ask her for indecent proposals.

“Favor –” she had to interrupt her own thoughts to ensure that it didn’t show on her face.

Putting his hands together, the man’s demeanor changed. There was suddenly a sparkle in his eyes and the way he scrunched his shoulders up and down twice just indicated this little buzz of excitement going about inside of him. Ysa found this very peculiar as she sat there, trying to figure out what he was going to say.

“You see,” he started, twiddling his fingers together. “We can settle this with a simple task. I need you to take care of _my Ginger_.”

Ysa felt something in her crash. She couldn’t identify what it was, but the more the new landlord spoke, the more his voice seemed far away. But as his voice became an echoing din that was slowly getting softer, the girl started wondering why she was feeling this way. And yet, despite the quizzical look on her face, Hiddleston continued talking about that favor.

“Ginger has been very dear to me, and I only want the best for her, even when I’m not around,” he whispered, licking his lips. “We’ve been together for a very long time and we’re very close. She depends on me on a lot of things and I need someone to look after her while I’m gone on this five day business trip to Sweden.”

“Oh,” Ysa spoke, somewhat finding her voice, despite the feeling as if someone had sprayed bug repellant on the happy butterflies that were fluttering earlier inside of her. “I see… Ginger is your,” she started, scratching her head. “Is she some sort of your girlfriend of some sort –“

His babble slowly dissipated, as a curious and quiet look appeared on his face. But she wasn’t able to identify the shadow of a smile that appeared on his lips, seemingly sensing her disappointment. “Well –” He started, leaning back on his chair, a cocky expression now forming on that handsome face.

But Ysa wasn’t listening to him. “I think I get it,” she continued speaking, a bit of disdain forming on her own lips as his change of demeanor was completely lost on her. “As a favor, you want me to take care of your girlfriend while you’re gone –” She scratched the side of her face. “Is she new to Edington? What kind of places does she like to go to? Does she like the museum –”

Ysa swore she had to stop as the man had started to snort and giggle in his corner, making her feel like an idiot. If he was an old friend, she probably would have launched a shoe at his head. But she couldn’t do this to him. She just met him. And she didn’t want to lose this deal.

“I see we’re getting a bit mixed up on this,” he said in the middle of his laughter that sounded like church bells to her ears, despite being slightly annoyed with how he reacted to her statements. “To be clear,” he said, licking his lips as he looked her in the eye. “ _Ginger_ is my _cat_.”

Ysa felt her face slowly heating up.

“Oh.” She never felt this embarrassed her entire life.

The girl couldn’t understand why, but it felt as if a wave of calm just swept over her. The anxiety slowly seeped away from her veins and she didn’t even realize that a small smile had crept up her lips. She also barely noticed how her companion happily leaned back against his seat, wearing the same knowing smile he was wearing earlier as he was explaining to her the details of his favor.

Rubbing her hands together, she shrugged her shoulders and looked up at her supposedly new landowner, opening her mouth to ask him her questions.

“Is it a kitten?” she started.

Hiddleston shook his head. “Ginger’s few years old.”

The girl nodded, taking note of what he just said. “What does she eat?”

“Mainly organic cat food that I will provide with the occasional treat of tuna or chicken.”

Pursing her lips, Ysa played with her fork. “Got some toys?”

“She’s got a ball of yarn and a scratching post,” the man exclaimed, gesturing as he spoke. “She can always sneak back into my flat whenever she needs to use the litter box.”

"Has she already been vaccinated?"

"She already got her shots this year."

Nodding, the girl then found herself staring at her untouched cheesecake. As she began to slice a small piece for her to eat, she weighed the pros and cons of having to accept this peculiar landlord’s deal with cutting down the rent considering the furnishing in exchange of her taking care of his cat.

At some weird point, if she was younger and a bit more naïve, not to mention having an ego bigger than a skyscraper and a maturity of a walnut, she would have been offended to take care of someone else’s pet in exchange for something bigger. But Ysa realized that when you grow older and you are faced with bigger necessities such as getting a substantial job to pay for the bills and somewhat earn you a better living where you can save up for your retirement – and your only way to secure all of this was to enslave yourself to a handsome landlord’s cat… then maybe the only way was to accept this kind of agreement. Even with how ridiculous this agreement is.

“Well,” Ysa said once she partook a piece of the cake, ignoring the fact that the man was watching her eat it all the time. “I haven’t had a pet in years…”

The man suddenly sat up, seemingly anticipating what she was about to say.

“But yeah,” the girl said nodding, looking down at the half-eaten desserts all over the table, and her almost-untouched expensive coffee. “I’ll help take care of your cat in exchange for the lowered rent.”

She almost jumped out of her seat when the man let out a low whistle, before rubbing his hands together. He looked so excited that it made her insides freeze again, only to be melted down by this indescribable feeling as she watched him try to compose himself, loosening the few buttons of his collar as he caught himself smiling brightly.

“Well,” Hiddleston cleared his throat, immediately trying to hide that eager smile on his face that was making Ysa raise her eyebrows. However, despite everything, she couldn’t help but feel pleased with the man’s expressions. “You don’t need to take care of Ginger the entire time, but we can do this as a trial basis and we could take off 30-40% off the down payment –”

Ysa felt color draining on her face, remembering about the down payment that required her to provide at least 50% of the rent as down payment along with the first month. “No no, sir,” she quickly exclaimed, waving a hand. “We can make this ‘cat settlement’ into something permanent for as long as I am your tenant.”

She couldn’t describe how his face lit up. “You would?!” Hiddleston exclaimed in an almost-high pitched voice. For a moment Ysa felt like the man was trying to get rid of his cat. “I-I mean –”

 _The more you please them, the more you’d get on their good side_ , she could remember an elder telling her a long time ago, when she was asking for favors. Sighing, Ysa found herself smiling sheepishly before saying, “I’d be glad to take care of Ginger.”

“That would be great!” The man almost jumped out of his seat, startling the girl. “Consider this deal done!”

Ysobel felt as if a din was ringing in her air. She couldn’t believe that with just that, a simple task, and she got the deal. She had to grip her hands to stop them from shaking, as she watched the man excitedly bringing out his laptop to seemingly take note of the proceedings as he set it against his lap, without disturbing the setup of the table.

“I-I couldn’t be more thankful, sir,” her voice shook as she watched him bite his lip, typing away at what she believes to be an email to the same agent whom she contacted, probably indicating that a deal has been made. She would find out later on that he had a contract ready that he was adjusting last minute, and she’d see this contract in person a day or two before she is slated to move in that suite she just secured with that deal.

He didn’t look up from his laptop, but the smile on his lips was evident. “What did I tell you earlier, Miss Ysobel?” His voice was initially stern, but the way he said his name had the same tone as when he called her _darling_. “Please call me Tom.”

“Yes,” She said sheepishly, feeling a bit uncomfortable referring to the man by his first name. Somehow she felt comfortable and more impersonal by calling him Mr. Hiddleston. At least that gave her enough reason not to think about jumping him and the like. “ _Tom._ ”

The girl waited as he typed, as he muttered to himself, talking about the movers and other figures who would look over the contract – such as an unmentioned landlady who watched over the suite while he was absent. As he was busy muttering to himself in an excited manner, Ysa slowly redirected her attention towards the waiting chocolate cheesecake, realizing that she only gained appetite for it the moment that the deal was settled. Ysa then understood the level of anxiety she was going through upon meeting this possible landlord whom she had no idea would be. Please, she has mistaken a gorgeous intellectual stud for a beer-drinking dirty old man on the way to the café!

 _And I can’t believe I just said that in my mind_ , she said to herself silently once more, feeling the need to stub her toe.

“So,” he suddenly composed himself, causing the girl to drop her eyes towards the scrumptious cheesecake once more. “I’d be expecting your email about the movers so I could have my people accommodate them when they arrive. Do let me know on the schedule when you wish to move in. I’d be happy to accommodate you or have someone greet you in case I’d be on business.”

Halfway through her cake, suddenly getting her appetite back, she found herself nodding gaily at the man. “Yes, sir.”

Hiddleston just gave her a small bashful smile as he looked back down at his device, before folding his laptop and returning to their forgotten desserts.

For a few moments they ate in silence. Although there was no conversation, you could tell that both parties were delightfully content.

“Thank you for giving me this chance, Mr. Hiddleston,” the girl finally spoke up as she began to dab her mouth with the napkin she had on her lap. “And for this wonderful treat.”

The man was about to finish his tea when he suddenly said in that stern voice again, “What did I say about my name, Miss Lee?”

For a moment it looked as if she squeaked, but she just managed to cover her mouth with the napkin. “I’m sorry, Tom.”

She didn’t see him gently smile into his cup.

Finishing what was left of their desserts and Tom calling for the bill, Ysa was in the middle of drinking her glass of cold water given to her by the waiter when she was startled by the sudden outburst of rain.

For some reason, her lingering look outside managed to catch the attention of her companion, who just managed to pay for their treats.

“Is something the matter?” He gently asked, a tone of concern in his voice.

Without removing her eyes from the window, Ysa found herself muttering, “I should be going soon. Busses going back to Dorschire might become scarce with this rain.”

“I could,” the man suddenly spoke up. “I could take you back to Dorschire if you want, I happen to have my car with me.” He turned to look outside the window, somewhat glancing at that black car just parked across the café. Ysa would have taken a second look as it seemed to be the latest model from the Jaguar line, but she didn’t want to confirm anymore.

There was something in the girl’s eyes when she turned to look back at him, and he couldn’t identify if it was a pleasant surprise or shock that formed on her face.

“Y-You don’t have to, sir.” she quickly answered, stuttering.

“Are you sure?” Tom quickly answered back, before he had to catch himself, realizing that he just met this girl today and she may still be uncomfortable towards him. The thought of her discomfort somewhat brought dismay to himself, but he felt himself frozen into place as she turned to smile at him.

“I’ll be fine, sir,” she said with this disarming smile that almost made him drop his phone.

He had to clear his throat to snap himself out of it. “Well if you insist,” he exclaimed, slipping back the credit card into his wallet and pocketing it. “I wouldn’t hold you back. But do stay until the rain lets up.”

The sound of concern and the gently tone of his voice made her smile again. “Yes, I will,” she answered gratefully, trying to avoid those crystal blue eyes.

Indeed in a few moments the rain did let up. Gathering her things and politely smiling at her new landlord, the man quickly got up on his feet as she stood up from the table, approaching him to shake his hand.

“I’m glad we had this conversation, Miss Ysobel,” the tall man politely muttered, sticking out a hand in her direction, subtly wishing that she’d take it. And she did out of gratefulness. “You should expect an email soon and we’ll have a signing on the day before you move in the suite. If I can’t be there, I’ll have the caretaker do it for me. Would that be okay?”

“That would be perfect, Mr Hiddlest—” she had to catch herself in mid-sentence, not to mention the way he initially raised his eyebrows, as if to reprimand her. “I mean, Tom.”

The man just firmly and warmly smiled at her as he continued shaking her hand, as if he didn’t want to let go of it. But he had to once he realized how close they were standing next to one another.

This time she got a better look at the light scruff that peppered his glorious chin, lightly matching the ginger shine of his curly hair that adorned that lovely head. And not to mention those bright blue eyes that smiled on their own when he turned to look at her. But that wasn’t even necessary for his eyes to do so as he was already smiling when he stood up to shake her hand once more. The fact that he smiled a lot was enough to light up that beautiful face all the time.

“You’ll be seeing a lot of me so better get used to that name,” he said with a boyish wink.

Ysa prayed to the same gods who got her that internship, hoping that she didn’t look too red at that moment. But she swore that she _blushed._

She half wished that he was serious about seeing a lot of him around.

Suddenly she more than excited and looking forward to moving in that new suite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edington, Dorschire and New Canton are fictional locations.


End file.
